Activated protein C resistance in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease.
BACKGROUND
There is evidence for a hypercoagulable state in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and small vessel thrombosis has been identified in the bowel of patients with Crohn's disease, suggesting thrombosis as a possible etiologic factor. Activated protein C (APC) resistance is the most common inherited disorder leading to thrombosis and accounts for 30% to 40% of episodes of idiopathic venous thrombosis.


METHODS
The prevalence of APC resistance was studied in 23 patients with IBD (17 with Crohn's disease, 6 with ulcerative colitis) and in 11 control subjects with recurrent abdominal pain or celiac disease, using an APC resistance screening method.


RESULTS
One patient with Crohn's disease had a positive screen result, two patients (one with Crohn's, one with ulcerative colitis) had borderline results, and results in all of the control subjects were normal. One patient with Crohn's disease had a history of a thromboembolic event but had a normal screen result.


CONCLUSIONS
Activated protein C resistance does not seem to play a major role in the etiology of the hypercoagulable state in inflammatory bowel disease.
Levine
A
A
Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva, Israel.
Lahav
J
J
Zahavi
I
I
Raz
A
A
Dinari
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time; D011486:Protein C / Q000502:physiology*; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology
D011486:Protein C